In a China-dominated industry, Colson Caster has a red, white, and blue feather in its cap. According to Kevin Osborn, Operations Manager, Colson remains committed to keeping as much manufacturing local as possible, and the company’s most popular products are manufactured in its two Arkansas facilities.

Economic activity in the manufacturing sector expanded in February for the ninth consecutive month, and the overall economy grew for the 57th consecutive month, say the nation’s supply executives in the latest Manufacturing ISM Report On Business.

In the 2013-2014 LNS Research MOM survey, approximately 325 manufacturing professionals shared their preferences on how they leverage internal resources, systems integrators and consultants, and software suppliers to support their manufacturing improvement initiatives.

Each year, 300,000 Americans visit the emergency room to treat a workplace eye injury. In total, all workplace eye injuries cost an estimated $300 million a year in lost productivity, medical treatment, and worker compensation.

I can’t tell you how rewarding it is when a company implements a plan and the light bulb goes on and they finally see how data can drive truly effective action. When data-based systems are installed, the implementation is too often considered successful once the data are flowing and people can get to the data.

While new FDA standards improve public safety and health, they also present challenges for food distributors to ensure they have FDA-compliant processes, plans, and technologies in place to avoid product recalls and fines.

An impact to one segment of the supply chain can have a domino-like effect that can be immediately felt throughout the entire supply chain. Through an effective monitoring program, organizations can proactively track and report on all of their supply chain issues, incidents, exposures, and risks in real time.

Are you doing all you can to make sure that your operation’s manufacturing safety is a well documented, practiced, and backed up process? How do companies achieve a level where they can boast of safety as one of the operational backbones, that itself in many cases becomes a competitive advantage?

The automotive industry is known for being “guinea pigs,” in the kindest sense of the word. For at least 15 years, these companies have been pursuing an idea that is just now making its way to other industries — it’s the idea of stashing automation and safety controllers on the machine itself, rather than in a centrally-located cabinet. Is it time for other industries to follow suit?

Pesticides are often the method used to control pests, but pesticides alone are not the solution. A better solution is to have an integrated pest management (IPM) program as part of your food safety program.

FLEXcon began its lean manufacturing program in 2003 and has since achieved a 90 percent improvement in on-time deliveries, 20 percent reduction in waste and a 35 percent increase in total productivity. Dollar savings are more than 10 times what was invested to roll the practice out and educate and train 1,000 employees.

End users use air guns or homemade devices to clean that are unsafe and do not meet OSHA regulations. For example, we have seen a device constructed out of a ball valve and a piece of pipe. If the tip on this homemade device were to become blocked, full line pressure would be built up behind the blockage — this could be hazardous.

The manufacturing environment is in a constant state of change. The failure to recognize the static nature of the business coupled with the failure of manufacturers to comply with disciplined global production systems has caused participants to revisit the value of outsourcing and the opportunities associated with reshoring.

Food waste drains food manufacturers’ resources and profits. Data on the issue is shocking. For example, 40 percent of all food produced in less-developed countries spoils every day before it reaches consumers.